The Return of Doctor Who (September 2012)

The wait has been too long but it is finally here.  Doctor Who is back everyone! This is a roundup of the first three episodes that have been shown. (WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS!)

Asylum of the Daleks

WOW. What a way to open the series! With a fantastic script this is definitely one of the best Dalek stories and might just be the best opener since the show’s revival in 2005. Full of action packed sequences, running up corridors, brilliant acting and more exterminating pepper pots than ever there was never a dull moment.  Let’s not forget the surprise unveiling of the Doctor’s new companion five episodes before we were told she was to appear! Then it turns out she was a Dalek! What!? We will have to wait till Christmas for some resolution and I bet even then we won’t get the whole answer. That Steven Moffat (the man who runs the show) is one crafty guy. The only complaint is that the promise of classic Daleks resulted in them just being used as cameos in the background. However not even this could take away the sure genius and brilliance of the episode as a whole. An instant classic! 10/10

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

Following such a brilliant (and rather serious) first episode successfully was always going to be tricky but the second instalment of the series did not disappoint. The light-hearted direction chosen was certainly the way to go. I loved the idea of the Doctor having a ‘gang’ as it produced a whole new dynamic for the show to work with especially when Amy became the Doctor figure of the sub-gang. For all the humour though there was also a dark undercurrent such as the un-doctor-like decision to leave the bad-guy to his death. Full of witty dialogue, a truly detestable villain, some camp robots, an Egyptian Queen and the Doctor riding a triceratops (all in space) we have been graced with one of the most fun yet still satisfying Doctor Who stories yet.  8/10

A Town Called Mercy

This reminded me so much of Firefly (one of the greatest but sadly cancelled sci-fi shows ever!). Not so much in content but the feel of the Wild West mixing with sci-fi which, for the most part, has worked rather well in this instance. The story was littered with typical Western themes but never felt too clichéd. The colours and sets were all fantastic and really helped to progress the story and the cyborg Gunslinger was also a neat touch and made a truly awesome monster. This episode had some more adult atmosphere touching on the Doctor’s moral uncertainty on what to do with the alien scientist responsible for the cyborg. Seeing the Doctor with a gun was very uncharacteristic and made for a truly unsettling image. The result is a mature story that still entertains with plenty of action and a gorgeous setting. 8/10

Overall this is turning out to be a truly memorable series. The whole scope of each episode has been so big and cinematic and yet it has not felt at all bloated. I can’t recall a series that has been so consistently good for the first three episodes and I certainly hope this quality is sustained. If it keeps it up it will definitely be the best series with Matt Smith as the Doctor and might even be the best since the shows revival. With Amy and Rory set to leave for good in the fifth episode at the hands of the Weeping Angels I eagerly anticipate the following instalments which are promised to be heartbreaking. The best show on TV is back maybe better than ever!